Friday, February 04, 2005
Language, a barrier in the African information society
By Brenda Zulu
An inclusive, African information society will remain a dream until communities and individuals have widespread access to the use of ICTs in African languages. Language is a big issue in the WSIS process said Adama Samassekou of the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN). “Building an African information society cannot be done with foreign languages only,” observed Samassekou. In a report from the workshop on African languages, open source software and creativity in the service of the African renaissance, it was recommended that the value of African languages should be officially recognised. They should be established as working languages of Africa’s countries and communities to promote multilingualism. Support should also be provided for the affordable development of open, compatible, adaptable and evolving ICT solutions. The solution should focus on promoting African languages and the creation of content to meet the needs of African societies. Abiodun Jagun from Nigeria observed that the issue of language had been recurring in all the sessions she attended at the conference. She said that most people were promoting their rural areas where they speak to the local people in their own language. “Unless you are speaking the local dialect you are not going to convey your message,” said Jagun. Therefore, cultural and linguistic diversity should be supported with a view to the development of an inclusive information society in Africa. Juliet Musoke from Uganda also agreed that language was a very big issue in the African WSIS process. “I would like to see my mother use a computer as she understands things better in a local language,” said Musoke.
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An inclusive, African information society will remain a dream until communities and individuals have widespread access to the use of ICTs in African languages. Language is a big issue in the WSIS process said Adama Samassekou of the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN). “Building an African information society cannot be done with foreign languages only,” observed Samassekou. In a report from the workshop on African languages, open source software and creativity in the service of the African renaissance, it was recommended that the value of African languages should be officially recognised. They should be established as working languages of Africa’s countries and communities to promote multilingualism. Support should also be provided for the affordable development of open, compatible, adaptable and evolving ICT solutions. The solution should focus on promoting African languages and the creation of content to meet the needs of African societies. Abiodun Jagun from Nigeria observed that the issue of language had been recurring in all the sessions she attended at the conference. She said that most people were promoting their rural areas where they speak to the local people in their own language. “Unless you are speaking the local dialect you are not going to convey your message,” said Jagun. Therefore, cultural and linguistic diversity should be supported with a view to the development of an inclusive information society in Africa. Juliet Musoke from Uganda also agreed that language was a very big issue in the African WSIS process. “I would like to see my mother use a computer as she understands things better in a local language,” said Musoke.
LET THE PEOPLE SPEAK- What purpose did this conference serve?
By Angella Nabwowe
WSIS Africa Agenda asks: What does this conference mean to the people gathered here at Accra International Conference Centre?
Grace Ngban from the northern part of Ghana says that “before I came to this conference, I did not know the difference between soft and hardware. Now I know. I have seen some of the software products by Personal Systems and it is very interesting and amazing”.
Ngban, who is a graduate of Ghana University in Legon, says the conference is an opportunity for people to get to know what is happening in the Information Communications Technology (ICT) sector and understand the language. “I wonder why we have some of these things in place and yet we are not developing,” she concluded.
Ssemboga Ann Ritah is an economist working with the Uganda Communications Commission. Ssemboga says the conference is an opportunity to share experiences in ICTs with the rest of Africa in the struggle to eliminate the digital divide and put Africa at the forefront of development. “I will take back with me to Uganda, the need and quickness to implement our ICT policy that was passed in 2004 and emphasize the need to develop a coordination centre for ICT implementation.” She said.
“It is a pool of ideas for the African continent to have a place in the changing ICT world,” said Bunmi Idowu from Nigeria.
Mbougueng Valentine is from Cameroon and heads the association of Africa-Asia newspapers in France. According to Mbougueng, “as media people we have to find solutions to reduce the gap between the north and south as well as the gap between the media in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and the media in the developed nations.”
Ben Marzouk Mohamed Elyes from Tunisian civil society said that this conference is important because it has given the people working with community projects a chance to be heard. “I hope that stakeholders can work together to promote ICTs. Including the civil society in the deliberations means building a stronger task force to bridge the digital divide,” he said.
The security guards we spoke to at the conference centre preferred to remain anonymous but nevertheless, sent out a strong message. “We are supposed to know what is going on, but it is a pity we are ill informed because we are on duty. We have not been to the conference halls, all we know is that there is a conference taking place here but we have not the slightest idea what it is all about.”
The security guards lamented that they were not the only ones left out, as most ordinary people are rarely prepared for such happenings.
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WSIS Africa Agenda asks: What does this conference mean to the people gathered here at Accra International Conference Centre?
Grace Ngban from the northern part of Ghana says that “before I came to this conference, I did not know the difference between soft and hardware. Now I know. I have seen some of the software products by Personal Systems and it is very interesting and amazing”.
Ngban, who is a graduate of Ghana University in Legon, says the conference is an opportunity for people to get to know what is happening in the Information Communications Technology (ICT) sector and understand the language. “I wonder why we have some of these things in place and yet we are not developing,” she concluded.
Ssemboga Ann Ritah is an economist working with the Uganda Communications Commission. Ssemboga says the conference is an opportunity to share experiences in ICTs with the rest of Africa in the struggle to eliminate the digital divide and put Africa at the forefront of development. “I will take back with me to Uganda, the need and quickness to implement our ICT policy that was passed in 2004 and emphasize the need to develop a coordination centre for ICT implementation.” She said.
“It is a pool of ideas for the African continent to have a place in the changing ICT world,” said Bunmi Idowu from Nigeria.
Mbougueng Valentine is from Cameroon and heads the association of Africa-Asia newspapers in France. According to Mbougueng, “as media people we have to find solutions to reduce the gap between the north and south as well as the gap between the media in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and the media in the developed nations.”
Ben Marzouk Mohamed Elyes from Tunisian civil society said that this conference is important because it has given the people working with community projects a chance to be heard. “I hope that stakeholders can work together to promote ICTs. Including the civil society in the deliberations means building a stronger task force to bridge the digital divide,” he said.
The security guards we spoke to at the conference centre preferred to remain anonymous but nevertheless, sent out a strong message. “We are supposed to know what is going on, but it is a pity we are ill informed because we are on duty. We have not been to the conference halls, all we know is that there is a conference taking place here but we have not the slightest idea what it is all about.”
The security guards lamented that they were not the only ones left out, as most ordinary people are rarely prepared for such happenings.
Telemedicine – the gateway to improved health
By Angella Nabwowe
In an effort to improve the delivery of primary health care services to all people, Ethiopia and Uganda as well as several other African countries have adopted information and communication technology (ICT) health initiatives.
In Ethiopia two ICT health initiatives, namely the national telemedicine pilot project and the regional networking project on the health sector are currently rolling in four regions.
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) are sponsoring the pilot project.
Fassil Shiferah, coordinator of the Ethiopian Telemedicine project used a case history to illustrate how the sick can get a more accurate diagnosis much quicker, and consequently receive more effective treatment.
She said, “A 14 year-old boy comes to central referral hospital with the complaint of under knee mass. Needle aspiration is taken and sent to pathology department and is seen by a 30 year experienced pathologist and diagnosed to have osteosarcoma (malignant) which needs amputation of the leg to save the boy’s life before the cancer disseminated. The pathologists present the case in the department and they can never reach consensus. Finally to get second opinion it is decided to use “ipath” web based consultation of bone tumor specialist in Basel University (Switzerland). The slide pictures are sent to Basel University and got response from Professor Gernot Jundt. The expert diagnosed that it is a lesion (that) mimics cancer while it is not, and finally the boy is saved from an amputation at an early age.”
Shiferah was presenting a paper on e-health applications at the WSIS Africa regional preparatory conference
While pointing out the enormous benefits of such applications, Shiferah acknowledged that the project does have certain limitations such as a lack of expertise in health information systems, the slow expansion of telecommunication infrastructure and regular power failures.
Ugandan example
Speaking at the same forum, the chairperson of the National e-Health Committee in Uganda, Dr Catherine Omaswa, said conducting health business electronically would improve access and the effectiveness of health care. “Pregnant women more often get labour complications because of the distances they have to travel to access health centres, this is a big problem but could be solved with the use of technology in the health sector,” said Omaswa.
Omaswa lamented that the health indices in Uganda paint a discouraging picture - life expectancy at 43 years and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) at 504 per 1000.
She said that access to health facilities and information is poor especially in rural areas, adding that ICTs are an ideal tool for bridging the gap to overcome the challenges.
Dr. Lawrence Kweku Yamuah of the Aware Home Research Initiative (AHRI) in Ethiopia concurred with his fellow speakers that Least Developing Countries (LDCs) especially in Africa, could benefit from using ICTs to improve health care. “To meet the goals of poverty eradication programmes of many African countries, as well as the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), our socio-economic thinking must tag along with the improvement in the health sector with the e-health/ICT tools,” concluded Kweku.
There are a number of other e-health initiatives being rolled out on the African continent. For instance, the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and the US National Library of Medicine have committed over $700 000 to link malaria research centres to the internet.
Uganda, Mozambique, Zambia, Congo Brazzaville and Nigeria were selected to join the first electronic malaria research network in the world.
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In an effort to improve the delivery of primary health care services to all people, Ethiopia and Uganda as well as several other African countries have adopted information and communication technology (ICT) health initiatives.
In Ethiopia two ICT health initiatives, namely the national telemedicine pilot project and the regional networking project on the health sector are currently rolling in four regions.
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) are sponsoring the pilot project.
Fassil Shiferah, coordinator of the Ethiopian Telemedicine project used a case history to illustrate how the sick can get a more accurate diagnosis much quicker, and consequently receive more effective treatment.
She said, “A 14 year-old boy comes to central referral hospital with the complaint of under knee mass. Needle aspiration is taken and sent to pathology department and is seen by a 30 year experienced pathologist and diagnosed to have osteosarcoma (malignant) which needs amputation of the leg to save the boy’s life before the cancer disseminated. The pathologists present the case in the department and they can never reach consensus. Finally to get second opinion it is decided to use “ipath” web based consultation of bone tumor specialist in Basel University (Switzerland). The slide pictures are sent to Basel University and got response from Professor Gernot Jundt. The expert diagnosed that it is a lesion (that) mimics cancer while it is not, and finally the boy is saved from an amputation at an early age.”
Shiferah was presenting a paper on e-health applications at the WSIS Africa regional preparatory conference
While pointing out the enormous benefits of such applications, Shiferah acknowledged that the project does have certain limitations such as a lack of expertise in health information systems, the slow expansion of telecommunication infrastructure and regular power failures.
Ugandan example
Speaking at the same forum, the chairperson of the National e-Health Committee in Uganda, Dr Catherine Omaswa, said conducting health business electronically would improve access and the effectiveness of health care. “Pregnant women more often get labour complications because of the distances they have to travel to access health centres, this is a big problem but could be solved with the use of technology in the health sector,” said Omaswa.
Omaswa lamented that the health indices in Uganda paint a discouraging picture - life expectancy at 43 years and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) at 504 per 1000.
She said that access to health facilities and information is poor especially in rural areas, adding that ICTs are an ideal tool for bridging the gap to overcome the challenges.
Dr. Lawrence Kweku Yamuah of the Aware Home Research Initiative (AHRI) in Ethiopia concurred with his fellow speakers that Least Developing Countries (LDCs) especially in Africa, could benefit from using ICTs to improve health care. “To meet the goals of poverty eradication programmes of many African countries, as well as the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), our socio-economic thinking must tag along with the improvement in the health sector with the e-health/ICT tools,” concluded Kweku.
There are a number of other e-health initiatives being rolled out on the African continent. For instance, the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and the US National Library of Medicine have committed over $700 000 to link malaria research centres to the internet.
Uganda, Mozambique, Zambia, Congo Brazzaville and Nigeria were selected to join the first electronic malaria research network in the world.
Tunisia ready to host WSIS
By Emrakeb Assefa
Tunisian officials attending the Africa Regional Preparatory Conference for World Summit for Information Society (WSIS) here in Accra say that they are ready to make Africa proud by hosting the second phase of the Summit scheduled to take place in November 2005 in Tunis.
Guellouz Ridha, advisor to the Tunisian minister of communication and technologies was responding to reports that accuse his country of gross human rights violations and the infringement of freedom of expression in Tunisia. Ridha denied the allegation and instead dared the outside world to attend the Tunis Summit to find out whether the country is guilty of any human rights violations.
“Is it possible to imagine a country which has realised progressive ICT policy, almost eradicated poverty, abolished illiteracy, and proposed the holding of WSIS could violate human rights?” he asked.
Tunisia proposed the holding of a global summit to develop an approach for action aimed at bridging the digital divide and to reach a common vision of the information society at an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) conference in 1998.
Ridha stressed, “We are hosting the summit and the event by itself will provide people with a chance to see for themselves if we are indeed violating any human rights.”
“It is easy to talk but very hard to work,” he said, explaining that Tunisia has committed itself to broadening the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for development on the global agenda.
The holding of the WSIS in Tunisia has put the country under close scrutiny over the last year. Most of the preparatory committee meetings are scheduled to take place in Tunisia up to the Tunis summit from 14-16 November 2005.
The Tunisia Phase of WSIS involves a process of monitoring and evaluating the progress of feasible actions laid out in the Geneva Plan of Action, and a concrete set of deliverables that must be achieved by the time the Summit meets again in Tunis.
Efforts are now being made to put the Plan of Action into motion while working groups have already been set up to find solutions and reach agreements in the fields of internet governance and financing mechanisms.
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Tunisian officials attending the Africa Regional Preparatory Conference for World Summit for Information Society (WSIS) here in Accra say that they are ready to make Africa proud by hosting the second phase of the Summit scheduled to take place in November 2005 in Tunis.
Guellouz Ridha, advisor to the Tunisian minister of communication and technologies was responding to reports that accuse his country of gross human rights violations and the infringement of freedom of expression in Tunisia. Ridha denied the allegation and instead dared the outside world to attend the Tunis Summit to find out whether the country is guilty of any human rights violations.
“Is it possible to imagine a country which has realised progressive ICT policy, almost eradicated poverty, abolished illiteracy, and proposed the holding of WSIS could violate human rights?” he asked.
Tunisia proposed the holding of a global summit to develop an approach for action aimed at bridging the digital divide and to reach a common vision of the information society at an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) conference in 1998.
Ridha stressed, “We are hosting the summit and the event by itself will provide people with a chance to see for themselves if we are indeed violating any human rights.”
“It is easy to talk but very hard to work,” he said, explaining that Tunisia has committed itself to broadening the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for development on the global agenda.
The holding of the WSIS in Tunisia has put the country under close scrutiny over the last year. Most of the preparatory committee meetings are scheduled to take place in Tunisia up to the Tunis summit from 14-16 November 2005.
The Tunisia Phase of WSIS involves a process of monitoring and evaluating the progress of feasible actions laid out in the Geneva Plan of Action, and a concrete set of deliverables that must be achieved by the time the Summit meets again in Tunis.
Efforts are now being made to put the Plan of Action into motion while working groups have already been set up to find solutions and reach agreements in the fields of internet governance and financing mechanisms.
Award contracts to locals companies
By David Muwanga
WOUBALEM TAYE, a member of the African Technical Advisory Committee of Ethiopia has criticised African governments for marginalising local companies in the awarding of contracts for information communication technology (ICT) services.
“Private sector organisations involved in the provision of ICT services should be included in the national programmes instead of marginalising them when governments award contracts to multinational companies,” he said.
He said that the private sector in Africa has an important role to play in realising the African information society. It can stimulate growth and assume market leadership by developing infrastructures through investments in relevant areas.
“The private sector is important in developing and diffusing information and communication technologies for infrastructure, content and applications. It is not only a market player but also has a role in a wider sustainable development context,” he said.
“Governments must ensure that peace and security prevails as violent crime and war will not attract investment from the ICT business sector. Corruption is a barrier to effective resource mobilisation,” said Waudo Siganga of Business Interlocutors, an association of East African business people.
He said the liberalisation of African economies is a necessary condition for private sector investment that will open the way for universal access.
“Government policies that limit choices or promote one form of technology over another deprives users of best solutions, stifles competition and innovation - thus impairing economic development and productivity,” Siganga said.
He argued that transactions conducted using electronic commerce should receive neutral tax treatment. “Internet tax policy should neither penalise electronic commerce nor inhibit the offering of electronic services while existing intellectual property laws need to be applied. New laws should be developed cautiously keeping in mind the need to balance protection while not inhibiting growth”.
He said governments should promulgate laws regulating the use of credit cards, cyber cash and digital signatures. Furthermore, effective measures should be put in place to effectively deal with online fraud and hacking.
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WOUBALEM TAYE, a member of the African Technical Advisory Committee of Ethiopia has criticised African governments for marginalising local companies in the awarding of contracts for information communication technology (ICT) services.
“Private sector organisations involved in the provision of ICT services should be included in the national programmes instead of marginalising them when governments award contracts to multinational companies,” he said.
He said that the private sector in Africa has an important role to play in realising the African information society. It can stimulate growth and assume market leadership by developing infrastructures through investments in relevant areas.
“The private sector is important in developing and diffusing information and communication technologies for infrastructure, content and applications. It is not only a market player but also has a role in a wider sustainable development context,” he said.
“Governments must ensure that peace and security prevails as violent crime and war will not attract investment from the ICT business sector. Corruption is a barrier to effective resource mobilisation,” said Waudo Siganga of Business Interlocutors, an association of East African business people.
He said the liberalisation of African economies is a necessary condition for private sector investment that will open the way for universal access.
“Government policies that limit choices or promote one form of technology over another deprives users of best solutions, stifles competition and innovation - thus impairing economic development and productivity,” Siganga said.
He argued that transactions conducted using electronic commerce should receive neutral tax treatment. “Internet tax policy should neither penalise electronic commerce nor inhibit the offering of electronic services while existing intellectual property laws need to be applied. New laws should be developed cautiously keeping in mind the need to balance protection while not inhibiting growth”.
He said governments should promulgate laws regulating the use of credit cards, cyber cash and digital signatures. Furthermore, effective measures should be put in place to effectively deal with online fraud and hacking.
Africans at WSIS push for “shared knowledge society”
By Emrakeb Assefa
As the Africa Regional preparatory conference for the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) winds down here in Accra today, it is time to take stock of what Africa needs to do if it is to be taken seriously by the global community in bridging the global digital divide.
K.Y. Amoako, executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the UN agency co-organising the conference, said that Africans at the WSIS should push the ICTs for development agenda in Africa if the continent is to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set for 2015. He said the African information society community gathered in Accra agreed that Africans should create “opportunities to access, utilise and share information and knowledge” in order to achieve the MDGs which can improve quality of life and eradicate poverty on the continent. He also said the African position at the WSIS is to include the sense of a “shared knowledge society” in the information society.
Amoako expressed support for the Digital Solidarity Fund (DSF), endorsed by the African Union (AU) summit in 2004, as an African-led initiative to finance the information society. He also said that, in order for Africa to resolve its financing problem on telecommunication infrastructure which he called “the Achilles heel of Africa’s information society”, Africa will need a multi-stakeholder approach. It should bring in regional economic communities and institutions such African Development Bank (ADB) as well as the AU to fund projects in education and health.
Amoako supported the creation of a ministerial committee of permanent cooperation on information and communication technologies (ICTs) which will be under the supervision of the Nepad ICT cluster. He urged the newly created African ministerial committee on ICTs to create a sub-committee that will look into developing capacity for the regulatory frameworks that allow Africa to tap into the global e-business environment.
But, the future looks grim when stock taking of the Africa’s progress towards meeting the MDGs.
“It is already clear that serious action is needed if Africa is to achieve the goals in 2015 rather than over a hundred years later,” Amoako warned. Sub-Saharan Africa is unlikely to achieve MDG one - the eradication of extreme hunger and halving of poverty, until 2150. Africa will not achieve the second goal, universal primary education, until 2130, he said.
Moreover, in order for sub-Saharan Africa to reach the MDGs, aid will have to increase from last year’s level of under $25 billion to 37 billion this year and then to 73 billion by 2015.
Of course, Africa has come a long way from a decade ago when it began a dialogue on the information society and what it meant for the continent. Amoako noted that a decade of ICT progress in Africa has been registered since the ECA launched the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) which set the regional framework for accelerating Africa’s participation in the information society and bridging the digital divide.
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As the Africa Regional preparatory conference for the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) winds down here in Accra today, it is time to take stock of what Africa needs to do if it is to be taken seriously by the global community in bridging the global digital divide.
K.Y. Amoako, executive secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the UN agency co-organising the conference, said that Africans at the WSIS should push the ICTs for development agenda in Africa if the continent is to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set for 2015. He said the African information society community gathered in Accra agreed that Africans should create “opportunities to access, utilise and share information and knowledge” in order to achieve the MDGs which can improve quality of life and eradicate poverty on the continent. He also said the African position at the WSIS is to include the sense of a “shared knowledge society” in the information society.
Amoako expressed support for the Digital Solidarity Fund (DSF), endorsed by the African Union (AU) summit in 2004, as an African-led initiative to finance the information society. He also said that, in order for Africa to resolve its financing problem on telecommunication infrastructure which he called “the Achilles heel of Africa’s information society”, Africa will need a multi-stakeholder approach. It should bring in regional economic communities and institutions such African Development Bank (ADB) as well as the AU to fund projects in education and health.
Amoako supported the creation of a ministerial committee of permanent cooperation on information and communication technologies (ICTs) which will be under the supervision of the Nepad ICT cluster. He urged the newly created African ministerial committee on ICTs to create a sub-committee that will look into developing capacity for the regulatory frameworks that allow Africa to tap into the global e-business environment.
But, the future looks grim when stock taking of the Africa’s progress towards meeting the MDGs.
“It is already clear that serious action is needed if Africa is to achieve the goals in 2015 rather than over a hundred years later,” Amoako warned. Sub-Saharan Africa is unlikely to achieve MDG one - the eradication of extreme hunger and halving of poverty, until 2150. Africa will not achieve the second goal, universal primary education, until 2130, he said.
Moreover, in order for sub-Saharan Africa to reach the MDGs, aid will have to increase from last year’s level of under $25 billion to 37 billion this year and then to 73 billion by 2015.
Of course, Africa has come a long way from a decade ago when it began a dialogue on the information society and what it meant for the continent. Amoako noted that a decade of ICT progress in Africa has been registered since the ECA launched the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) which set the regional framework for accelerating Africa’s participation in the information society and bridging the digital divide.
Civil society groups mad as hell
By Remmy Nweke
The African Civil Society for the Information Society (ACSIS) yesterday sent a letter of complaint to the president of the conference demanding to know why they had been forbidden from actively participating at the opening ceremony.
“We were denied a speech slot, thereby barring us from bringing the grassroots message to the conference,” read the document titled “Civil Society Exclusion from Conference Opening Ceremony.
The group of over 150 participants, alleged it was difficult to gain access to the main hall, and they were not allowed make their positions known to the hall of delegates.
The media was at first denied access into the venue. When they were eventually allowed in, most were asked to go to the upper gallery where audio recording was next to impossible and basic accessories such as head phones for understanding translations were not made available.
A similar situation occurred at the first WSIS phase in Geneva, where the media caucus and other groups were only given five minutes to state their positions on the Information Society.
The African Youth ICT4D Network (AYIN) launched yesterday, has also condemned the exclusion of civil society organisations.
African civil society groups have requested a slot in today’s closing ceremony to air their concerns. At the time of going to print, no word had been received from the conference director.
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The African Civil Society for the Information Society (ACSIS) yesterday sent a letter of complaint to the president of the conference demanding to know why they had been forbidden from actively participating at the opening ceremony.
“We were denied a speech slot, thereby barring us from bringing the grassroots message to the conference,” read the document titled “Civil Society Exclusion from Conference Opening Ceremony.
The group of over 150 participants, alleged it was difficult to gain access to the main hall, and they were not allowed make their positions known to the hall of delegates.
The media was at first denied access into the venue. When they were eventually allowed in, most were asked to go to the upper gallery where audio recording was next to impossible and basic accessories such as head phones for understanding translations were not made available.
A similar situation occurred at the first WSIS phase in Geneva, where the media caucus and other groups were only given five minutes to state their positions on the Information Society.
The African Youth ICT4D Network (AYIN) launched yesterday, has also condemned the exclusion of civil society organisations.
African civil society groups have requested a slot in today’s closing ceremony to air their concerns. At the time of going to print, no word had been received from the conference director.
No more drama in my life
By Haru Mutasa
In a few short months FOSS, the Free and Open Source Software operating system “Linux”, has made Yinka Adeyemo’s life a lot less stressful.
“I have no more angry clients breathing down his neck every time when things don’t work and there are no more late night calls to fix faulty computers,” said the calm computer engineer.
His business, Microleb in Ibadan Nigeria, sells and repairs computers as well as installs and maintains networking systems. The bulk of his clients run internet cafes which use the conventional Windows software packages he installs for them.
Running and maintaining Windows-run PCs meant dealing with viruses and a host of other computer-related headaches. Ademeyo needed to find solutions fast, and did, when he discovered the benefits of Linux at an Open Source (OS) training workshop organised by the Free and Open Source Software Resource Centre (FOSSREC) an organisation dedicated to introducing OS to African communities.
Their Train-the-Trainers programme empowers computer savvy Africans with knowledge on how to use OS and web technologies. The idea is to gradually integrate Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) across the continent.
FOSS is technology local people can understand, maintain and adapt to other needs. Its source code is made free and public. Users are allowed to change the source code and adapt it to their own needs on condition they freely distribute it to other users.
“I had been playing with Linux on my own whenever I was not working,” said Adeyemo, “But the course made me see what else the programme could do and how I could use it in my business.”
He has not been disappointed with the results and feels completely at home navigating his way through the source code of a Linux-run programme he is working on.
"I have already switched most of my clients on to Linux. Now there are fewer technical problems and headaches. I have more time to myself,” he explained.
Using Linux has meant Ademeyo can save the money he would have otherwise used to buy conventional Windows 98 and XP programmes. He has six people working for him and the company stands to benefit from the money he is saving.
The roll out of FOSS in Africa is seen as one way to bridge the digital divide. The process is slow and Ademeyo, who has seen many of his classmates emigrate to the United Kingdom, firmly believes that bridging the divide should start with Africans themselves.
“Africa is still so far behind when it comes to ICT development and unfortunately most qualified people are living overseas improving the infrastructure of other people and not our own,” he said, “For things to move forward Africans need to come together, stay and develop our own nations with the skills we have.”
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In a few short months FOSS, the Free and Open Source Software operating system “Linux”, has made Yinka Adeyemo’s life a lot less stressful.
“I have no more angry clients breathing down his neck every time when things don’t work and there are no more late night calls to fix faulty computers,” said the calm computer engineer.
His business, Microleb in Ibadan Nigeria, sells and repairs computers as well as installs and maintains networking systems. The bulk of his clients run internet cafes which use the conventional Windows software packages he installs for them.
Running and maintaining Windows-run PCs meant dealing with viruses and a host of other computer-related headaches. Ademeyo needed to find solutions fast, and did, when he discovered the benefits of Linux at an Open Source (OS) training workshop organised by the Free and Open Source Software Resource Centre (FOSSREC) an organisation dedicated to introducing OS to African communities.
Their Train-the-Trainers programme empowers computer savvy Africans with knowledge on how to use OS and web technologies. The idea is to gradually integrate Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) across the continent.
FOSS is technology local people can understand, maintain and adapt to other needs. Its source code is made free and public. Users are allowed to change the source code and adapt it to their own needs on condition they freely distribute it to other users.
“I had been playing with Linux on my own whenever I was not working,” said Adeyemo, “But the course made me see what else the programme could do and how I could use it in my business.”
He has not been disappointed with the results and feels completely at home navigating his way through the source code of a Linux-run programme he is working on.
"I have already switched most of my clients on to Linux. Now there are fewer technical problems and headaches. I have more time to myself,” he explained.
Using Linux has meant Ademeyo can save the money he would have otherwise used to buy conventional Windows 98 and XP programmes. He has six people working for him and the company stands to benefit from the money he is saving.
The roll out of FOSS in Africa is seen as one way to bridge the digital divide. The process is slow and Ademeyo, who has seen many of his classmates emigrate to the United Kingdom, firmly believes that bridging the divide should start with Africans themselves.
“Africa is still so far behind when it comes to ICT development and unfortunately most qualified people are living overseas improving the infrastructure of other people and not our own,” he said, “For things to move forward Africans need to come together, stay and develop our own nations with the skills we have.”
“It was still only men speaking”
By Brenda Zulu
ACCRA- Gender is still an issue in the WSIS process said Lettie Longwe from the WSIS - Gender Caucus secretariat.
“How many African women have to come to attend the WSIS? There’s still a gender imbalance. Look at the opening ceremony, it was only men speaking,” said Longwe.
She said the information society cannot be complete without the active engagement and involvement of African women, who play a major role in reaching out and disseminating information to diverse communities.
Longwe added that the current expansion of the information society, and ICTs in Africa through the funding of infrastructure was mainly economic, leaving behind a whole host of barriers that African women face, and alternatives that could be pushed forward.
“At present, African women lack information, especially those living in rural areas. Information on human rights, health, agriculture, credit facilities, economic opportunities, education (as well as) technology training which is very scant and randomly provided or totally non existent,” said Longwe.
She added that the main issue in the information society was not whether African women could use ICTs, but rather whether they could control the access, use, adoption, adaptation, innovation, design and development of new technologies. It is also important that they should be able to be in control of their own destinies by reducing their marginalisation and exclusion from the mainstream.
Manju Chatani a member of the Association of Progressive Communicators (APC) also observed that there was a glaring absence of gender issues on the WSIS African agenda.
“It is time for the fundamental issue of gender inequalities within ICTs to be addressed-lest this powerful tool for empowerment and self determination while diminishing the digital divide, deepens the gender divide,” said Chatani.
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ACCRA- Gender is still an issue in the WSIS process said Lettie Longwe from the WSIS - Gender Caucus secretariat.
“How many African women have to come to attend the WSIS? There’s still a gender imbalance. Look at the opening ceremony, it was only men speaking,” said Longwe.
She said the information society cannot be complete without the active engagement and involvement of African women, who play a major role in reaching out and disseminating information to diverse communities.
Longwe added that the current expansion of the information society, and ICTs in Africa through the funding of infrastructure was mainly economic, leaving behind a whole host of barriers that African women face, and alternatives that could be pushed forward.
“At present, African women lack information, especially those living in rural areas. Information on human rights, health, agriculture, credit facilities, economic opportunities, education (as well as) technology training which is very scant and randomly provided or totally non existent,” said Longwe.
She added that the main issue in the information society was not whether African women could use ICTs, but rather whether they could control the access, use, adoption, adaptation, innovation, design and development of new technologies. It is also important that they should be able to be in control of their own destinies by reducing their marginalisation and exclusion from the mainstream.
Manju Chatani a member of the Association of Progressive Communicators (APC) also observed that there was a glaring absence of gender issues on the WSIS African agenda.
“It is time for the fundamental issue of gender inequalities within ICTs to be addressed-lest this powerful tool for empowerment and self determination while diminishing the digital divide, deepens the gender divide,” said Chatani.
Genève donne le coup d’envoi le 14 mars prochain
Lancement du Fonds de solidarité numérique
Par Baba Thiam
Le Fonds de solidarité numérique sera lancé officiellement le 14 mars prochain à Genève. L’information a été révélée dans un message délivré par le ministre des Télécommunications et des Nouvelles technologies de l’information et de la communication (Ntic), Joseph Ndong, dans l’allocution du message du président de la République du Sénégal, Me Abdoulaye Wade, par ailleurs responsable des Nouvelles technologies de l’information et de la communication du New Partenership and Development (Nepad).
Le lancement officiel du Fonds de solidarité numérique est fixé pour le 14 mars prochain à Genève en Suisse. La révélation a été faite, hier, par M. Joseph Ndong à l’ouverture de la conférence régionale sur la société de l’information qui se tient à Accra du 2 au 4 février. Dans son message délivré par son ministre, le chef de l’Etat sénégalais, écrit que ‘’ce sera l’occasion pour nous de concrétiser un projet qui (…) aura un impact certain dans la lutte contre la marginalisation intolérable de plus de 70% de la population du globe relativement à ces autoroutes de l’information qui structurent notre avenir à tous’’.
A travers la tribune d’Accra, Me Wade a plaidé pour un ‘’mécanisme innovant qui ne cherche pas à se substituer aux autres mécanismes de financement existant, mais constitue une réponse appropriée et diligente aux énormes besoins d’infrastructure, de formation et d’équipement pour les zones déshéritées.’’
La mobilisation africaine autour du concept de solidarité numérique ne fait plus aucun doute. Le président Wade l’a réitéré par la voix de son ministre : ‘’Je suis heureux de constater que le continent tout entier s’est mobilisé pour que la solidarité numérique ne soit plus seulement une idée, mais une réalité’’. Le chef de l’Etat sénégalais se fonde sur ‘’les résultats tangibles obtenus et le soutien précieux apporté par de nombreux pays et surtout par les pouvoirs locaux ont permis de donner une grande impulsion à cette initiative de notre continent’’. Après la publication du rapport sur les mécanismes de financement, le Me Wade estime ‘’que la preuve est faite de l’inadéquation des mécanismes existants pour prendre en charge les besoins extrêmement importants requis pour faire face à la demande non solvable venant en particulier des populations des zones rurales, des femmes et des handicapés (…)’’.
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Par Baba Thiam
Le Fonds de solidarité numérique sera lancé officiellement le 14 mars prochain à Genève. L’information a été révélée dans un message délivré par le ministre des Télécommunications et des Nouvelles technologies de l’information et de la communication (Ntic), Joseph Ndong, dans l’allocution du message du président de la République du Sénégal, Me Abdoulaye Wade, par ailleurs responsable des Nouvelles technologies de l’information et de la communication du New Partenership and Development (Nepad).
Le lancement officiel du Fonds de solidarité numérique est fixé pour le 14 mars prochain à Genève en Suisse. La révélation a été faite, hier, par M. Joseph Ndong à l’ouverture de la conférence régionale sur la société de l’information qui se tient à Accra du 2 au 4 février. Dans son message délivré par son ministre, le chef de l’Etat sénégalais, écrit que ‘’ce sera l’occasion pour nous de concrétiser un projet qui (…) aura un impact certain dans la lutte contre la marginalisation intolérable de plus de 70% de la population du globe relativement à ces autoroutes de l’information qui structurent notre avenir à tous’’.
A travers la tribune d’Accra, Me Wade a plaidé pour un ‘’mécanisme innovant qui ne cherche pas à se substituer aux autres mécanismes de financement existant, mais constitue une réponse appropriée et diligente aux énormes besoins d’infrastructure, de formation et d’équipement pour les zones déshéritées.’’
La mobilisation africaine autour du concept de solidarité numérique ne fait plus aucun doute. Le président Wade l’a réitéré par la voix de son ministre : ‘’Je suis heureux de constater que le continent tout entier s’est mobilisé pour que la solidarité numérique ne soit plus seulement une idée, mais une réalité’’. Le chef de l’Etat sénégalais se fonde sur ‘’les résultats tangibles obtenus et le soutien précieux apporté par de nombreux pays et surtout par les pouvoirs locaux ont permis de donner une grande impulsion à cette initiative de notre continent’’. Après la publication du rapport sur les mécanismes de financement, le Me Wade estime ‘’que la preuve est faite de l’inadéquation des mécanismes existants pour prendre en charge les besoins extrêmement importants requis pour faire face à la demande non solvable venant en particulier des populations des zones rurales, des femmes et des handicapés (…)’’.
TIC pour le développement socio-économique : Notre diversité est notre force
Par Gervais J. Henrie.
Malgré la diversité de l'expérience africaine, les défis du continentsont les mêmes, retient la conclusion d'un atelier sur l'importance dela Technologie de l'information et de la communication pour ledéveloppement socio-économique, qui a lieu à Accra. Les défis identifiés sont le manque de ressources, l'insuffisance decapacités humaines et institutionnels et un manque de contenu culturelqui est impératif pour atteindre les buts du développement pour lemillenium. Cependant, notre diversité est notre force. En s'adressant auxdélégués, le président de l'atelier, l'adjoint du Ministre de laCommunication sud africaine, M. Radhakrishna Roy Padayaachie, asouligné que la diversité des participants a élargi les perspectivesde ce débat. L'atelier a concerné plusieurs stratégies spécifiques qui vont aiderl'Afrique à promouvoir un développement équitable, durable, global etinclusif de toutes les couches de la société. Les propos du Chef de l'Etat ghanéen, J.A Kufuor ont reçu un écho favorable de participants à l'atelier. ''Il faut critiquer, analyser la performance de nos pays, adhérerà une vision claire et formuler des stratégies définies qui nousaideront à atteindre les bénéfices de la globalisation,'' a déclaréle président au cours de son adresse à la cérémonie d'ouverture duSMSI le mercredi dernier. Les stratégies évoquent le contenu local, la participation active despeuples indigènes, les innovations dans le domaine numérique, laparticipation du secteur privé et des petites entreprises, l'inclusiondes femmes et de jeunes, l'utilisation de TIC comme outil dudéveloppement et le manque de capacité humaine et institutionnelle. Ce résumé des travaux démontre que les mots du président Rwandais,Paul Kagamé ont été bien compris. ''On doit accepter la réalité des choses : les TIC et ledéveloppement socio-économique sont interdépendants et se renforcentmutuellement.’
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Malgré la diversité de l'expérience africaine, les défis du continentsont les mêmes, retient la conclusion d'un atelier sur l'importance dela Technologie de l'information et de la communication pour ledéveloppement socio-économique, qui a lieu à Accra. Les défis identifiés sont le manque de ressources, l'insuffisance decapacités humaines et institutionnels et un manque de contenu culturelqui est impératif pour atteindre les buts du développement pour lemillenium. Cependant, notre diversité est notre force. En s'adressant auxdélégués, le président de l'atelier, l'adjoint du Ministre de laCommunication sud africaine, M. Radhakrishna Roy Padayaachie, asouligné que la diversité des participants a élargi les perspectivesde ce débat. L'atelier a concerné plusieurs stratégies spécifiques qui vont aiderl'Afrique à promouvoir un développement équitable, durable, global etinclusif de toutes les couches de la société. Les propos du Chef de l'Etat ghanéen, J.A Kufuor ont reçu un écho favorable de participants à l'atelier. ''Il faut critiquer, analyser la performance de nos pays, adhérerà une vision claire et formuler des stratégies définies qui nousaideront à atteindre les bénéfices de la globalisation,'' a déclaréle président au cours de son adresse à la cérémonie d'ouverture duSMSI le mercredi dernier. Les stratégies évoquent le contenu local, la participation active despeuples indigènes, les innovations dans le domaine numérique, laparticipation du secteur privé et des petites entreprises, l'inclusiondes femmes et de jeunes, l'utilisation de TIC comme outil dudéveloppement et le manque de capacité humaine et institutionnelle. Ce résumé des travaux démontre que les mots du président Rwandais,Paul Kagamé ont été bien compris. ''On doit accepter la réalité des choses : les TIC et ledéveloppement socio-économique sont interdépendants et se renforcentmutuellement.’
Problématique du contenu local - Des chercheurs africains sur la bonne voie
La richesse et la diversité des langues africaines n’ont pas encore leur véritable place dans le réseau des réseaux. Pour combler le fossé linguistique, un réseau de chercheurs africains s’active depuis quelque temps. La mise en place des ‘’langues africaines et développement du contenu dans le cyberespace’’ montre que les universitaires sont sur la bonne voie. L’expérience malienne d’un didacticiel pour l’enseignement des langues africaines a donné le la.
Linguiste à l’Ecole normale supérieure de la faculté de l’université de Bamako, au Mali, Emile Kamara se réjouit de l’installation d’un réseau africain appelé ‘’Langues africaines et développement du contenu dans le cyberespace’’. Ses pairs de l’Afrique australe de l’Est, du Nord et de l’Ouest ont ainsi mis en branle un espace de réflexion pour être en phase avec les Nouvelles technologies de l’information et de la communication.
Le Pr. Yèro Sylla est d’avis que ‘’si on doit développer un Internet africain, il faut d’abord un contenu africain’’. Selon l’universitaire sénégalais, par ailleurs Secrétaire exécutif de la société africaine d’éducation et de formation pour le développement (SAFEFOD), ‘’ il faut que les informaticiens se penchent sur l’utilisation des langues nationales pour véhiculer un contenu local qui regroupe les préoccupations des populations africaines’’.
Selon M. Sylla, ‘’tout processus de Technologie de l’information et de la communication doit être replacé dans un contexte de développement’’.
La richesse et la diversité des langues africaines peuvent constituer une valeur ajoutée pour nos économies extraverties.
Dans le cadre de ses recherches, le Pr. Emile Kamara travaille sur les didacticiels pour l’enseignement des langues africaines. ‘’Il s’agit de programmes d’informations qui servent à l’enseignement des langues locales. Ce qui peut être un facteur déterminant pour leur vulgarisation et leur diffusion au plan international’’, confie M. Kamara.
Ce chercheur malien espère que la conception et l’exécution de ces programmes peut être décisif pour la diffusion et la connaissance des cultures africaines. L’expérience malienne est intéressante à plus d’un titre avec ces nombreuses populations paysannes qui ont été alphabétisées et savent désormais calculer dans leur langue maternelle. Le professeur se projette déjà sur l’avenir avec la mise sur pied d’un didacticiel pour les non alphabétisé dans le cadre de l’apprentissage du français. ‘’Auparavant, ces populations étaient alphabétisées dans leur langue, il doit leur être possible maintenant d’accéder sur le monde en pratiquant d’autres langues internationales’’, souligne-t-il. M. Kamara estime en outre que ‘’dans la plupart des pays, il existe des chercheurs qui s’occupent de la collecte des données traditionnelles, des contes…’’. Il s’agit juste d’harmoniser tout ce travail, conclut-il.
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Linguiste à l’Ecole normale supérieure de la faculté de l’université de Bamako, au Mali, Emile Kamara se réjouit de l’installation d’un réseau africain appelé ‘’Langues africaines et développement du contenu dans le cyberespace’’. Ses pairs de l’Afrique australe de l’Est, du Nord et de l’Ouest ont ainsi mis en branle un espace de réflexion pour être en phase avec les Nouvelles technologies de l’information et de la communication.
Le Pr. Yèro Sylla est d’avis que ‘’si on doit développer un Internet africain, il faut d’abord un contenu africain’’. Selon l’universitaire sénégalais, par ailleurs Secrétaire exécutif de la société africaine d’éducation et de formation pour le développement (SAFEFOD), ‘’ il faut que les informaticiens se penchent sur l’utilisation des langues nationales pour véhiculer un contenu local qui regroupe les préoccupations des populations africaines’’.
Selon M. Sylla, ‘’tout processus de Technologie de l’information et de la communication doit être replacé dans un contexte de développement’’.
La richesse et la diversité des langues africaines peuvent constituer une valeur ajoutée pour nos économies extraverties.
Dans le cadre de ses recherches, le Pr. Emile Kamara travaille sur les didacticiels pour l’enseignement des langues africaines. ‘’Il s’agit de programmes d’informations qui servent à l’enseignement des langues locales. Ce qui peut être un facteur déterminant pour leur vulgarisation et leur diffusion au plan international’’, confie M. Kamara.
Ce chercheur malien espère que la conception et l’exécution de ces programmes peut être décisif pour la diffusion et la connaissance des cultures africaines. L’expérience malienne est intéressante à plus d’un titre avec ces nombreuses populations paysannes qui ont été alphabétisées et savent désormais calculer dans leur langue maternelle. Le professeur se projette déjà sur l’avenir avec la mise sur pied d’un didacticiel pour les non alphabétisé dans le cadre de l’apprentissage du français. ‘’Auparavant, ces populations étaient alphabétisées dans leur langue, il doit leur être possible maintenant d’accéder sur le monde en pratiquant d’autres langues internationales’’, souligne-t-il. M. Kamara estime en outre que ‘’dans la plupart des pays, il existe des chercheurs qui s’occupent de la collecte des données traditionnelles, des contes…’’. Il s’agit juste d’harmoniser tout ce travail, conclut-il.
Nice to play with, if you have the cash
By Haru Mutasa
ACCRA- Thomas Olawale unfolds his laptop, types in a random number onto what looks like a picture of a standard telephone and waits patiently for the phone at the end of his booth to start ringing.
The proof is in the pudding, and he repeats the process one more time to convert the unbelievers - curious onlookers amazed by what they have just seen.
“It really is a simple process,” says Olawale the unit manager for Computer Information Systems (CIS) in Ghana, “You just install the software on your computer and make your call.”
He moves to the Internet Protocol (IP) phones on display. To the untrained eye they look like normal phones but looks, in this case, are deceiving.
IP telephony has the potential to make voice traffic over traditional copper wire (which is often stolen), and using separate cabling for data transmissions a thing of the past in Africa. The phones use data packets instead of circuit-switched connections to transport information allowing both voice and data services to travel on a single, combined, cost-effective network. The process uses lower bandwidth and allows up to four simultaneous calls to be made using the same bandwidth with no degradation in quality.
“Putting a system like this in your business will mean better efficiency which means better customer care,” he says, “Installation costs are high but in the long run you will save lot of money.”
It costs an estimated $20 000 to install the system in an organisation. You only need one PABX at your main headquarters which caters for a remote office in another country.
“The beauty of this system is that you could have an organisation of 100 people and you still pay the same set up costs as a company with half this amount. So the more people you have in your company the better it is for you. The set up cost is the same.”
Developing countries and rural communities with little or no access to telephone networks stand to benefit the most from technologies like IP phones. Unfortunately the road to reaching these benefits is long and winding.
“I really don’t think it is possible to implement systems like this in a rural community just yet,” says Olawale shaking his head, “Because of the cost, it is more for the corporate businesses with the money to afford it.”
The Latter Day Saints, a church in Accra, has been using the IP phone system to do its administration for two years.
The American based organisation has the money to implement Voice 0ver IP (VoIP) systems, but poor rural communities in Africa cannot benefit from such devices that have a very real and important role to play in bridging the digital divide in Africa.
Olawale believes however, the situation will one day change for millions of disadvantaged Africans whose grandchildren may one day be using IP phones.
“In time more companies will recognise the benefits of IP phones and start using them and more people will start supplying the service. This will drive costs down and make it more affordable for more people to use.”
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ACCRA- Thomas Olawale unfolds his laptop, types in a random number onto what looks like a picture of a standard telephone and waits patiently for the phone at the end of his booth to start ringing.
The proof is in the pudding, and he repeats the process one more time to convert the unbelievers - curious onlookers amazed by what they have just seen.
“It really is a simple process,” says Olawale the unit manager for Computer Information Systems (CIS) in Ghana, “You just install the software on your computer and make your call.”
He moves to the Internet Protocol (IP) phones on display. To the untrained eye they look like normal phones but looks, in this case, are deceiving.
IP telephony has the potential to make voice traffic over traditional copper wire (which is often stolen), and using separate cabling for data transmissions a thing of the past in Africa. The phones use data packets instead of circuit-switched connections to transport information allowing both voice and data services to travel on a single, combined, cost-effective network. The process uses lower bandwidth and allows up to four simultaneous calls to be made using the same bandwidth with no degradation in quality.
“Putting a system like this in your business will mean better efficiency which means better customer care,” he says, “Installation costs are high but in the long run you will save lot of money.”
It costs an estimated $20 000 to install the system in an organisation. You only need one PABX at your main headquarters which caters for a remote office in another country.
“The beauty of this system is that you could have an organisation of 100 people and you still pay the same set up costs as a company with half this amount. So the more people you have in your company the better it is for you. The set up cost is the same.”
Developing countries and rural communities with little or no access to telephone networks stand to benefit the most from technologies like IP phones. Unfortunately the road to reaching these benefits is long and winding.
“I really don’t think it is possible to implement systems like this in a rural community just yet,” says Olawale shaking his head, “Because of the cost, it is more for the corporate businesses with the money to afford it.”
The Latter Day Saints, a church in Accra, has been using the IP phone system to do its administration for two years.
The American based organisation has the money to implement Voice 0ver IP (VoIP) systems, but poor rural communities in Africa cannot benefit from such devices that have a very real and important role to play in bridging the digital divide in Africa.
Olawale believes however, the situation will one day change for millions of disadvantaged Africans whose grandchildren may one day be using IP phones.
“In time more companies will recognise the benefits of IP phones and start using them and more people will start supplying the service. This will drive costs down and make it more affordable for more people to use.”
All African states to have national ICT plans by 2006
By Emrakeb Assefa
ACCRA- By the end of 2006, all African countries must put in place national information and communication technologies (ICTs) plans if they are to meet the promises made during the Geneva phase of the World Summit of Information Society (WSIS) in December 2004.
World leaders agreed to set up national e-strategies as one of the activities set out in the WSIS Plan of Action. An e-strategy or plan is seen as a critical success factor in the battle to bridge the digital divide between the haves and have-nots. This was revealed at one of the workshops linked to the WSIS Africa preparatory conference.
The Information Society plans, developed with the African Information Society Initiative (AISI), will help African countries participate in the creation of an inclusive information society on the continent.
To date, 35 African countries have completed or begun the process of developing a national information and communication technologies (ICTs) development plan.
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ACCRA- By the end of 2006, all African countries must put in place national information and communication technologies (ICTs) plans if they are to meet the promises made during the Geneva phase of the World Summit of Information Society (WSIS) in December 2004.
World leaders agreed to set up national e-strategies as one of the activities set out in the WSIS Plan of Action. An e-strategy or plan is seen as a critical success factor in the battle to bridge the digital divide between the haves and have-nots. This was revealed at one of the workshops linked to the WSIS Africa preparatory conference.
The Information Society plans, developed with the African Information Society Initiative (AISI), will help African countries participate in the creation of an inclusive information society on the continent.
To date, 35 African countries have completed or begun the process of developing a national information and communication technologies (ICTs) development plan.
Stop your hand-wringing mentality
By Emrakeb Assefa
ACCRA- The message put across during the African Civil Society forum held at the WSIS Africa Regional Preparatory Conference was simple: “If we want to get listened to at global negotiation tables, we should save ourselves, and not expect saving from outsiders.”
This is in sharp contrast to the earlier talks at the WSIS preparatory committee meetings (prepcoms) where African NGOs voiced deep-seated concerns over the low level of African participation. The overwhelming majority of African NGOs did not have the necessary financial resources to attend the meetings and, as a result, their interests were sidelined.
"Representation of African civil society organisations is very poor, and the number is so minimal as to be non-existent," said Richard Baguma Tinkasimier, the general secretary of the United Nations Association of Uganda. He explained the absence of African civil society pointing to the exorbitant costs of international travel.
Charles Geiger, the deputy executive director of the WSIS Executive Secretariat, voiced a similar concern, blaming a lack of funding for the low African attendance at the first prepcom in Tunisia last June. Geiger said, "We were concerned over the low level of participation from Africa in the previous WSIS in Switzerland. But we are more worried now because it has reached a critical point."
The level of African participation in the Tunisia phase is expected to be lower than that of the Swiss phase because the host country of the first phase of WSIS is not going to provide financial assistance for NGOs to attend the second phase.
Despite these concerns, the spirit of independence was clearly expressed at the civil society forum here in Accra over the weekend. Participants noted their weariness over the “dependency syndrome” that characterises the work of African NGOs. Indeed NGOs were told in no uncertain terms by international agencies such as UNESCO that they should not take international financial assistance for granted. UNESCO told the gathering: “Save yourself, and don’t ask us to save you.”
Tunji Lardner, founder of Wangonet, a West African NGO Network that provides intellectual and ICT resources to NGOs, agrees with this sentiment.
“We should go beyond our hand-wringing mentality, expecting that we would be organised from without, believing somehow we cannot do without external assistance,” he stated.
Lardner said such a stance is “inherently unsustainable”, though worry over African civil society under-representation is a “legitimate complaint.” He stressed that African civil society “has to be at the table to negotiate and the ability to be represented at major forums which affect Civil Society Organisations’ in the WSIS (context) is crucial.”
Lardner, noted, however, that African NGOs should stop thinking of “civil society participation as a birthright” and should instead create the space for building local capacity. “We should make a collective effort to build our own capacity before we think of building a collective mass to be heard at international negotiation tables such as WSIS,” he added.
The forum examined obstacles hindering African Civil Society’s full participation in an inclusive information society and examined the conditions under which it can optimise its contribution to the WSIS process.
A lack of financial capacity among African civil society organisations was identified as one of several bottlenecks that stifle effective African Civil Society participation in the information society.
The forum said, “Digitally literate Civil Society can make intelligent use of a mix of ICT tools to provide information to others on policy issues, engage citizens and government in policy process and increase participation in national, regional and global ICT governance issues.”
But Lardner admitted, “The price of this global communication is digital access, and who pays for that ticket is the question.”
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ACCRA- The message put across during the African Civil Society forum held at the WSIS Africa Regional Preparatory Conference was simple: “If we want to get listened to at global negotiation tables, we should save ourselves, and not expect saving from outsiders.”
This is in sharp contrast to the earlier talks at the WSIS preparatory committee meetings (prepcoms) where African NGOs voiced deep-seated concerns over the low level of African participation. The overwhelming majority of African NGOs did not have the necessary financial resources to attend the meetings and, as a result, their interests were sidelined.
"Representation of African civil society organisations is very poor, and the number is so minimal as to be non-existent," said Richard Baguma Tinkasimier, the general secretary of the United Nations Association of Uganda. He explained the absence of African civil society pointing to the exorbitant costs of international travel.
Charles Geiger, the deputy executive director of the WSIS Executive Secretariat, voiced a similar concern, blaming a lack of funding for the low African attendance at the first prepcom in Tunisia last June. Geiger said, "We were concerned over the low level of participation from Africa in the previous WSIS in Switzerland. But we are more worried now because it has reached a critical point."
The level of African participation in the Tunisia phase is expected to be lower than that of the Swiss phase because the host country of the first phase of WSIS is not going to provide financial assistance for NGOs to attend the second phase.
Despite these concerns, the spirit of independence was clearly expressed at the civil society forum here in Accra over the weekend. Participants noted their weariness over the “dependency syndrome” that characterises the work of African NGOs. Indeed NGOs were told in no uncertain terms by international agencies such as UNESCO that they should not take international financial assistance for granted. UNESCO told the gathering: “Save yourself, and don’t ask us to save you.”
Tunji Lardner, founder of Wangonet, a West African NGO Network that provides intellectual and ICT resources to NGOs, agrees with this sentiment.
“We should go beyond our hand-wringing mentality, expecting that we would be organised from without, believing somehow we cannot do without external assistance,” he stated.
Lardner said such a stance is “inherently unsustainable”, though worry over African civil society under-representation is a “legitimate complaint.” He stressed that African civil society “has to be at the table to negotiate and the ability to be represented at major forums which affect Civil Society Organisations’ in the WSIS (context) is crucial.”
Lardner, noted, however, that African NGOs should stop thinking of “civil society participation as a birthright” and should instead create the space for building local capacity. “We should make a collective effort to build our own capacity before we think of building a collective mass to be heard at international negotiation tables such as WSIS,” he added.
The forum examined obstacles hindering African Civil Society’s full participation in an inclusive information society and examined the conditions under which it can optimise its contribution to the WSIS process.
A lack of financial capacity among African civil society organisations was identified as one of several bottlenecks that stifle effective African Civil Society participation in the information society.
The forum said, “Digitally literate Civil Society can make intelligent use of a mix of ICT tools to provide information to others on policy issues, engage citizens and government in policy process and increase participation in national, regional and global ICT governance issues.”
But Lardner admitted, “The price of this global communication is digital access, and who pays for that ticket is the question.”
Better ICTs would have saved many tsunami victims
By Remmy Nweke
ACCRA- Better information and communications technologies (ICTs) would have saved the lives of many people who perished in the recent Indian ocean tsunami wave disaster said Yoshio Utsumi, secretary-general of the International Telecommunications Union. He used this example to illustrate the very real value ICTs can have in the lives of ordinary people.
Addressing the plenary session of the African regional preparatory conference, Utsumi described the meeting in Accra as “crucial to Africa and its member states in their participation in the second WSIS.”
Utsumi, who is also the chairman, High-Level Organising Committee (HLOC) of WSIS, used the opportunity to praise the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) for the way it has organised conference.
He stressed the urgency of translating the resolutions taken at the first phase of the WSIS meeting in Geneva into reality. He also challenged government departments and non-governmental agencies to work together in placing Africa where it belongs in the information society.
Earlier in a goodwill message to the conference, president of the Preparatory Committee for WSIS 2005, Janis Karklins from Latvia, said that the summit would enable people to make better use of ICTs for development.
Stressing the importance of the Accra conference, Karklins said it would help implement the Geneva recommendations and streamline the Plan of Action. He said that it would also ensure a successful second phase of the WSIS in Tunis later in the year.
Karklins noted that Africa has a lot to gain from bridging the digital divide, and therefore wished delegates a successful meeting.
There’ll be life after Tunis - we’ll make sure of it
By Haru Mutasa
ACCRA- While others wonder what’s next after Tunis, young people at the Accra conference have taken matters into their own hands and won’t see their hard work die prematurely.
“We are moving further than just discussing and talking about ICTs and development,” said Gbenga Sesan a coordinator of the African Youth Initiative a voluntary youth organisation set up in 2002 to promote active use of ICTs in Africa, “We have an action plan for Tunis and will keep working on it after WSIS II. In fact we plan to continue the process for at least another five years.”
An estimated 200 youths from across the continent participated at the eYouth Summit held three days before the start of the WSIS Africa Regional Conference.
“For many of the youth it was the first time they got to fully understand the WSIS process and see for themselves how they can influence policies,” said Sesan, “It gave them a sense of responsibility. It was also an opportunity for the youth of Africa to come together, hear what each local initiative is doing and get ideas from each other. This could help stop replicate projects – something we see a lot in our communities. In some areas you get two projects in the same states using different resources. Why not get them to work together?”
Another task is to involve the whole continent in promoting and using ICTs in their communities.
He noted that Central Africa is still untapped terrain. “That region is a problem and participation is very thin but we have thought ahead by inviting two representatives to participate in discussions here in Accra,” said Sesan, “They will take what they have learnt back to their communities and start the process there. We are planning to have a meeting there in April this year to promote partnerships in that area.”
The meetings looked at issues related to cybercrime, the use of ICTs in addressing the HIV/Aids pandemic, ICT in education, the role of NEPAD in the whole process and how ICTs can achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
Plans are underway to set up the African Regional Youth ICT4D network which will create a platform for African youth organisations to implement and engage fully in ICTs-for-development projects within their regions.
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ACCRA- While others wonder what’s next after Tunis, young people at the Accra conference have taken matters into their own hands and won’t see their hard work die prematurely.
“We are moving further than just discussing and talking about ICTs and development,” said Gbenga Sesan a coordinator of the African Youth Initiative a voluntary youth organisation set up in 2002 to promote active use of ICTs in Africa, “We have an action plan for Tunis and will keep working on it after WSIS II. In fact we plan to continue the process for at least another five years.”
An estimated 200 youths from across the continent participated at the eYouth Summit held three days before the start of the WSIS Africa Regional Conference.
“For many of the youth it was the first time they got to fully understand the WSIS process and see for themselves how they can influence policies,” said Sesan, “It gave them a sense of responsibility. It was also an opportunity for the youth of Africa to come together, hear what each local initiative is doing and get ideas from each other. This could help stop replicate projects – something we see a lot in our communities. In some areas you get two projects in the same states using different resources. Why not get them to work together?”
Another task is to involve the whole continent in promoting and using ICTs in their communities.
He noted that Central Africa is still untapped terrain. “That region is a problem and participation is very thin but we have thought ahead by inviting two representatives to participate in discussions here in Accra,” said Sesan, “They will take what they have learnt back to their communities and start the process there. We are planning to have a meeting there in April this year to promote partnerships in that area.”
The meetings looked at issues related to cybercrime, the use of ICTs in addressing the HIV/Aids pandemic, ICT in education, the role of NEPAD in the whole process and how ICTs can achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
Plans are underway to set up the African Regional Youth ICT4D network which will create a platform for African youth organisations to implement and engage fully in ICTs-for-development projects within their regions.
A need for numbers
By Brenda Zulu
Only nine African countries replied to the questionnaire on the WSIS Plan of Action adopted at Geneva phase of WSIS.
Shortly after the summit in Switzerland, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Bamako Bureau sent African states a questionnaire on all aspects of the Plan of Action (PoA). The questionnaire specifically asked respondents about problems encountered while assessing progress in implementing the (PoA).
At the Africa preparatory conference in Accra, a representative of Mali presented a report on a pre-conference workshop held to discuss the responses to the questionnaires. He noted that less than half of the countries replying to the questionnaires had formulated their national ICT policies between 2002 and 2004.
The workshop recommended that states should establish an information gathering mechanism involving all concerned parties at national level.
Governments should also set up and activate the national WSIS committees called for in the Bamako Declaration to facilitate the gathering of information. The Bamako Declaration was adopted by leaders at the first African regional preparatory meeting ahead of the first phase of WSIS.
They should also ensure that national statistical offices are involved in the collaboration and dissemination of information on the implementation of the WSIS Plan of Action. The workshop called for a proper evaluation of the progress achieved in realising the dream of an African information society and the implementation of the Geneva Action Plan for the period 2005 to 2015.
Delegates agreed that all institutions involved with ICTs should be encouraged to work in partnership and in close cooperation with national statistics offices in collecting, collating and disseminating ICT development data and statistics. They identified the need to create synergy between the public and private sectors in this regard.
The capacities of ministries in charge of ICTs and regulatory agencies responsible for the collection, collation and dissemination of ICTs indicators should be strengthened.
Attention to ICT indicators should be incorporated into general framework for identification of various types of indicators, capable of adoption to the specific needs of each country. A draft document on ICTs indicators, covering all interested African countries should be prepared for submission to all donors.
Regional economic communities should be involved in the ICT indicator process.
The development use of software for the prediction of ICT indicators should be encouraged and the ICT task force should ensure follow up to implementation of the recommendations prepared at the WSIS workshop at the national and sub-regional levels between now and Tunis 2005.
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Only nine African countries replied to the questionnaire on the WSIS Plan of Action adopted at Geneva phase of WSIS.
Shortly after the summit in Switzerland, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Bamako Bureau sent African states a questionnaire on all aspects of the Plan of Action (PoA). The questionnaire specifically asked respondents about problems encountered while assessing progress in implementing the (PoA).
At the Africa preparatory conference in Accra, a representative of Mali presented a report on a pre-conference workshop held to discuss the responses to the questionnaires. He noted that less than half of the countries replying to the questionnaires had formulated their national ICT policies between 2002 and 2004.
The workshop recommended that states should establish an information gathering mechanism involving all concerned parties at national level.
Governments should also set up and activate the national WSIS committees called for in the Bamako Declaration to facilitate the gathering of information. The Bamako Declaration was adopted by leaders at the first African regional preparatory meeting ahead of the first phase of WSIS.
They should also ensure that national statistical offices are involved in the collaboration and dissemination of information on the implementation of the WSIS Plan of Action. The workshop called for a proper evaluation of the progress achieved in realising the dream of an African information society and the implementation of the Geneva Action Plan for the period 2005 to 2015.
Delegates agreed that all institutions involved with ICTs should be encouraged to work in partnership and in close cooperation with national statistics offices in collecting, collating and disseminating ICT development data and statistics. They identified the need to create synergy between the public and private sectors in this regard.
The capacities of ministries in charge of ICTs and regulatory agencies responsible for the collection, collation and dissemination of ICTs indicators should be strengthened.
Attention to ICT indicators should be incorporated into general framework for identification of various types of indicators, capable of adoption to the specific needs of each country. A draft document on ICTs indicators, covering all interested African countries should be prepared for submission to all donors.
Regional economic communities should be involved in the ICT indicator process.
The development use of software for the prediction of ICT indicators should be encouraged and the ICT task force should ensure follow up to implementation of the recommendations prepared at the WSIS workshop at the national and sub-regional levels between now and Tunis 2005.
OPINION: From Bamako To Accra: Drumming Support for Africa’s Youth
by ‘Gbenga Sesan
ACCRA- Africa held the first regional preparatory meeting for the World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS) at the Palais des Congrès in Bamako, Republic of Mali in May 2002. The conference had representatives from 51 African countries, delegates from many other countries and representatives of African and global entities, the private sector and civil society.
The meeting had five young people (among others) sponsored by the
Telecommunications Development Bureau (TDB) of the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU) for the purpose of driving youth input into the
process.
These young people lobbied and recorded major success as the roundtable discussion threw a lot of support behind the clamour for youth empowerment and inclusion.
Eventually, one of the major outcomes of the conference, the Bamako 2002 Declaration, requested, “that African States should actively involve the youth in national and regional ICT activities”.
Building on this momentum and other suitable networks, Africa was duly
represented when eight young people from five continents met in Geneva in July
2002 to kickstart the process of global youth involvement in the WSIS.
They started the Youth Caucus and made clear its objectives even at the first preparatory committee meeting of the WSIS. The WSIS Youth Caucus, then led by Nick Moraitis of TakingITGlobal, is now anchored by a team of three young people – with Titilayo Akinsanmi (Nigerian – and obviously African – working in Johannesburg) as the Global Facilitator.
From the Bamako meeting, through the preparatory committee meetings, the December 2003 summit, side events, and to local, national, regional and international WSIS related meetings (including the recently concluded United Nations ICT Task Force meeting in Berlin), young Africans have remained active in the process.
At times, when visa and funding problems would not allow us attend the meetings physically, we took to the World Wide Web for help. The African Youth e-Conference on the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) held online at www.yahoogrups.com/group/wsisyouthafrica between the 20th and 30th of November 2002. It was coordinated by Paradigm Initiative Nigeria and ninety-six (96) young Africans from over 13 countries participated in the e-Conference which sought to strengthen the role of African youths in the WSIS processes, and the eventual action plans that will be drawn up.
Sincerely, Youth is not a thematic issue within the WSIS process, and the need to involve and empower Africa’s youth is not just another conference statement bullet point. It is imperative that young Africans participate in the process, and are empowered to translate words and thoughts into action. We are the proof of sustainability, and the bridge between today and tomorrow.
With this fact accepted, Africa’s development process, utilising information and communication technologies (ICTs) can be accelerated. You just need to see the passion in the blood of the empowered African youth within the WSIS process, and the action they have been able to place on the discussion table to appreciate the song this piece seeks to sing!
We accept that as told in the story of the proverbial bird in the hand of a young child, whether the “bird” lives or dies, we decide. But just as another African proverb says, “a child who lifts his hands will get the support of his mother”. We lift our hands and ask for support. Support – not for individuals or selfish interests, but for the future of our continent.
We have moved around in circles long enough, its time to join forces and weave a new continent we can be proud to call home. No longer shall we just tend the gardens of others, our own flowers will blossom. It is Africa’s time to reveal to the world that the pyramids of Egypt and mineral resources of Nigeria are not accidents but gifts planted ahead of a day of celebration – today! It is time for action, and support. Relay the message of the network to other young people, publish the emerging items in your local media outlets, advise the network’s youth, make resources available for the ambitious but necessary work, and hold us accountable for our promises.
We believe in positive peer pressure and will enjoy a healthy competition on the track of development. Fortunately, the fifth African Development Forum has its theme as “Youth and Leadership in the 21st Century” and we believe that it comes at a great time for us in order to weave these efforts into one fine matrix. From Bamako to Accra, Africa’s youth have toiled.
In the words of David Diop, “the blood of your sweat / the sweat of your work / … / That is your Africa / springing up anew / springing up patiently obstinately / Whose fruit bit by bit acquire / The bitter taste of liberty”9. Here comes liberty, and it is time to support these efforts and network with other stakeholders to announce the birth of a New Africa, one riding on the wings of Information and Communication Technologies for accelerated development. Viva Africa.
(0) comments
ACCRA- Africa held the first regional preparatory meeting for the World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS) at the Palais des Congrès in Bamako, Republic of Mali in May 2002. The conference had representatives from 51 African countries, delegates from many other countries and representatives of African and global entities, the private sector and civil society.
The meeting had five young people (among others) sponsored by the
Telecommunications Development Bureau (TDB) of the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU) for the purpose of driving youth input into the
process.
These young people lobbied and recorded major success as the roundtable discussion threw a lot of support behind the clamour for youth empowerment and inclusion.
Eventually, one of the major outcomes of the conference, the Bamako 2002 Declaration, requested, “that African States should actively involve the youth in national and regional ICT activities”.
Building on this momentum and other suitable networks, Africa was duly
represented when eight young people from five continents met in Geneva in July
2002 to kickstart the process of global youth involvement in the WSIS.
They started the Youth Caucus and made clear its objectives even at the first preparatory committee meeting of the WSIS. The WSIS Youth Caucus, then led by Nick Moraitis of TakingITGlobal, is now anchored by a team of three young people – with Titilayo Akinsanmi (Nigerian – and obviously African – working in Johannesburg) as the Global Facilitator.
From the Bamako meeting, through the preparatory committee meetings, the December 2003 summit, side events, and to local, national, regional and international WSIS related meetings (including the recently concluded United Nations ICT Task Force meeting in Berlin), young Africans have remained active in the process.
At times, when visa and funding problems would not allow us attend the meetings physically, we took to the World Wide Web for help. The African Youth e-Conference on the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) held online at www.yahoogrups.com/group/wsisyouthafrica between the 20th and 30th of November 2002. It was coordinated by Paradigm Initiative Nigeria and ninety-six (96) young Africans from over 13 countries participated in the e-Conference which sought to strengthen the role of African youths in the WSIS processes, and the eventual action plans that will be drawn up.
Sincerely, Youth is not a thematic issue within the WSIS process, and the need to involve and empower Africa’s youth is not just another conference statement bullet point. It is imperative that young Africans participate in the process, and are empowered to translate words and thoughts into action. We are the proof of sustainability, and the bridge between today and tomorrow.
With this fact accepted, Africa’s development process, utilising information and communication technologies (ICTs) can be accelerated. You just need to see the passion in the blood of the empowered African youth within the WSIS process, and the action they have been able to place on the discussion table to appreciate the song this piece seeks to sing!
We accept that as told in the story of the proverbial bird in the hand of a young child, whether the “bird” lives or dies, we decide. But just as another African proverb says, “a child who lifts his hands will get the support of his mother”. We lift our hands and ask for support. Support – not for individuals or selfish interests, but for the future of our continent.
We have moved around in circles long enough, its time to join forces and weave a new continent we can be proud to call home. No longer shall we just tend the gardens of others, our own flowers will blossom. It is Africa’s time to reveal to the world that the pyramids of Egypt and mineral resources of Nigeria are not accidents but gifts planted ahead of a day of celebration – today! It is time for action, and support. Relay the message of the network to other young people, publish the emerging items in your local media outlets, advise the network’s youth, make resources available for the ambitious but necessary work, and hold us accountable for our promises.
We believe in positive peer pressure and will enjoy a healthy competition on the track of development. Fortunately, the fifth African Development Forum has its theme as “Youth and Leadership in the 21st Century” and we believe that it comes at a great time for us in order to weave these efforts into one fine matrix. From Bamako to Accra, Africa’s youth have toiled.
In the words of David Diop, “the blood of your sweat / the sweat of your work / … / That is your Africa / springing up anew / springing up patiently obstinately / Whose fruit bit by bit acquire / The bitter taste of liberty”9. Here comes liberty, and it is time to support these efforts and network with other stakeholders to announce the birth of a New Africa, one riding on the wings of Information and Communication Technologies for accelerated development. Viva Africa.
VoIP opens new commercial opportunities
By Wanjohi Kabukuru
ACCRA- New technologies such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) can help African countries achieve development targets.
South Africa has adopted a strategy to generate jobs by attracting international call centres to the country. These centres, already widespread in India, provide outsourced services using high bandwidth connections and VoIP platforms.
VoIP converts calls to data and transmits them in message packets on any data network (including the internet). This method considerably lowers phone costs, but threatens the earnings of conventional telecommunications providers. Call centres provide telephone support services to developed countries from their bases in developing countries where labour is relatively cheap. In this way VoIP is being used to generate revenue in local economies.
VoIP can also support socio-economic development more broadly by bringing the benefits of efficient data network usage and lowered call costs to individual consumers, small businesses, government agencies, and community organisations.
Algeria, Mali, Mauritius, Nigeria and Kenya have recently legalised both VoIP and WiFi.
Earlier this week, Telkom Kenya outlined a strategy, set to kick off next month that will provide VoIP technology, and enable Telkom users all over Kenya to use calling cards to access the service. This is not a surprise as it has come at a time when the new administration has sought to involve the private sector and civil society in the development of an all inclusive policy paper on ICTs for the country.
Going north, the Algerian government recently approved licences allowing several Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to use VoIP technology to compete in the market for international calls. Previously, Algerians had access to only one telecommunications operator and had to pay six times more than what they are currently paying.
With governments opening up markets, and allowing competition to flourish in the telecommunications sector, new technologies have made for lower tariffs and greater access to ICTs in less privileged areas.
Africa has much to gain from the adoption of both VoIP and WiFi technologies, as fixed line telephony penetration is still very low in large expanses of the continent.
By embracing these revolutionary technologies, Algeria, Mali, Mauritius, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa have shown the way. For this they have had to endure short-term losses of revenue, in order to reengineer their telecommunication services and boost their own economies and knowledge societies.
(0) comments
ACCRA- New technologies such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) can help African countries achieve development targets.
South Africa has adopted a strategy to generate jobs by attracting international call centres to the country. These centres, already widespread in India, provide outsourced services using high bandwidth connections and VoIP platforms.
VoIP converts calls to data and transmits them in message packets on any data network (including the internet). This method considerably lowers phone costs, but threatens the earnings of conventional telecommunications providers. Call centres provide telephone support services to developed countries from their bases in developing countries where labour is relatively cheap. In this way VoIP is being used to generate revenue in local economies.
VoIP can also support socio-economic development more broadly by bringing the benefits of efficient data network usage and lowered call costs to individual consumers, small businesses, government agencies, and community organisations.
Algeria, Mali, Mauritius, Nigeria and Kenya have recently legalised both VoIP and WiFi.
Earlier this week, Telkom Kenya outlined a strategy, set to kick off next month that will provide VoIP technology, and enable Telkom users all over Kenya to use calling cards to access the service. This is not a surprise as it has come at a time when the new administration has sought to involve the private sector and civil society in the development of an all inclusive policy paper on ICTs for the country.
Going north, the Algerian government recently approved licences allowing several Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to use VoIP technology to compete in the market for international calls. Previously, Algerians had access to only one telecommunications operator and had to pay six times more than what they are currently paying.
With governments opening up markets, and allowing competition to flourish in the telecommunications sector, new technologies have made for lower tariffs and greater access to ICTs in less privileged areas.
Africa has much to gain from the adoption of both VoIP and WiFi technologies, as fixed line telephony penetration is still very low in large expanses of the continent.
By embracing these revolutionary technologies, Algeria, Mali, Mauritius, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa have shown the way. For this they have had to endure short-term losses of revenue, in order to reengineer their telecommunication services and boost their own economies and knowledge societies.
East Africa needs access and infrastructure
By Wanjohi Kabukuru
ACCRA- Infrastructure to help Africa achieve an all-inclusive information and knowledge society is still lacking. The latest statistics by the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) indicate that the continent has the lowest internet penetration with slightly over 100 users for every 10 000 people.
This figure succinctly explains the digital division that exists when Africa is compared to other continents. The comparable figures for Asia, America and Europe are 600, 2 500 and 3 000 respectively.
As most of its citizens live in rural areas where power supplies are erratic and unreliable, the issues of access and infrastructure are critical concerns for the East African Community (EAC) countries namely Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
“We are exploring ways and means where we can involve our energy sectors in the provision of power to our rural areas and in our urban areas make it reliable,” said James Rege, the permanent secretary for Information and Communication in Kenya.
“In the same vein we are also discussing how best we can tap into alternative sources of energy. As you are well aware, for ICT4D to function at its best we need power. Also linked to this we are looking forward to affordable tariffs to bolster more users to access ICTs. So this is not just a Kenyan question, but an East African Community and African as whole view point,” added Rege who is leading the Kenyan delegation here in Accra.
As he was making these comments, it emerged that Kenya’s national telephone company had announced a 69% internet tariff reduction in an effort to broaden access.
“For us we are looking at ICTs as the cornerstone of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in terms of eradicating extreme poverty, achieve universal education, promote gender equality and women empowerment, ensure environmental sustainability, combat HIV/Aids and malaria among others. Once we achieve this, then we are on the right path,” said Rege.
He said that appropriate infrastructure, combined with the removal of regulatory obstacles and bureaucratic regimes, will open up rural Africa and enhance regional integration. This will in turn facilitate content provision through multiple platforms such as digital radio, television and internet. “Just the other day, we had a committee to fast-track the transformation of the East African Community to become a federation. These are some of the concrete proposals that we are looking into through ICTs to facilitate development in our region.”
(0) comments
ACCRA- Infrastructure to help Africa achieve an all-inclusive information and knowledge society is still lacking. The latest statistics by the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) indicate that the continent has the lowest internet penetration with slightly over 100 users for every 10 000 people.
This figure succinctly explains the digital division that exists when Africa is compared to other continents. The comparable figures for Asia, America and Europe are 600, 2 500 and 3 000 respectively.
As most of its citizens live in rural areas where power supplies are erratic and unreliable, the issues of access and infrastructure are critical concerns for the East African Community (EAC) countries namely Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
“We are exploring ways and means where we can involve our energy sectors in the provision of power to our rural areas and in our urban areas make it reliable,” said James Rege, the permanent secretary for Information and Communication in Kenya.
“In the same vein we are also discussing how best we can tap into alternative sources of energy. As you are well aware, for ICT4D to function at its best we need power. Also linked to this we are looking forward to affordable tariffs to bolster more users to access ICTs. So this is not just a Kenyan question, but an East African Community and African as whole view point,” added Rege who is leading the Kenyan delegation here in Accra.
As he was making these comments, it emerged that Kenya’s national telephone company had announced a 69% internet tariff reduction in an effort to broaden access.
“For us we are looking at ICTs as the cornerstone of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in terms of eradicating extreme poverty, achieve universal education, promote gender equality and women empowerment, ensure environmental sustainability, combat HIV/Aids and malaria among others. Once we achieve this, then we are on the right path,” said Rege.
He said that appropriate infrastructure, combined with the removal of regulatory obstacles and bureaucratic regimes, will open up rural Africa and enhance regional integration. This will in turn facilitate content provision through multiple platforms such as digital radio, television and internet. “Just the other day, we had a committee to fast-track the transformation of the East African Community to become a federation. These are some of the concrete proposals that we are looking into through ICTs to facilitate development in our region.”
E-Ghana project is on course
By Remmy Nweke
ACCRA- Clement Dzidonu, chairman of the Ghana National ICT Policy and Plan Development Committee, says that the 20-year ICT development plan for the country is on course.
He made this assertion in a chat with Highway Africa News Agency (HANA) at the on-going, second preparatory conference for the second phase of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS), taking place at the Accra International Conference Centre.
Dzidonu said that the Ghana ICT policy for accelerated development is a 20-year plan that has been divided into five plans of four years each.
Currently, he said, Ghana is concentrating on using technology in three, key focus areas - development of technology, use of technology and exploitation of the technology in multiple sectors.
“We actually anticipate that in the first phase, we would be focusing on the use of the technology, the second plan, we will move towards the development of the technology in addition to the use of it,” he said.
Citing an example of the first phase of the plan, Dzidonu, a professor of computer science, said a number of programmes are already up and running in education. These programmes target the use of technology within the education system, as well as the health sector.While talking about the status of ICTs in Ghana, he said, that his agency is keen to ensure the deployment of the latest technologies for an accelerated development process of the country.
“Within that context, we have a policy in place and now we are in the process of developing the plan to cover 14 pillars, which cover all sectors of the economy,” he declared.
These pillars include electronic government (e-gov), human resource development, private sector promotion, e-security, foreign direct investment, facilitating a regulatory environment, e-health, research and development, deployment of ICTs and a legal framework.
The agency, he said, would ensure that the benefits of ICTs are reflected in the lives of ordinary Ghanaians. Plans have been put forward to promote ICTs in education all the way from primary schools to the universities.
(0) comments
ACCRA- Clement Dzidonu, chairman of the Ghana National ICT Policy and Plan Development Committee, says that the 20-year ICT development plan for the country is on course.
He made this assertion in a chat with Highway Africa News Agency (HANA) at the on-going, second preparatory conference for the second phase of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS), taking place at the Accra International Conference Centre.
Dzidonu said that the Ghana ICT policy for accelerated development is a 20-year plan that has been divided into five plans of four years each.
Currently, he said, Ghana is concentrating on using technology in three, key focus areas - development of technology, use of technology and exploitation of the technology in multiple sectors.
“We actually anticipate that in the first phase, we would be focusing on the use of the technology, the second plan, we will move towards the development of the technology in addition to the use of it,” he said.
Citing an example of the first phase of the plan, Dzidonu, a professor of computer science, said a number of programmes are already up and running in education. These programmes target the use of technology within the education system, as well as the health sector.While talking about the status of ICTs in Ghana, he said, that his agency is keen to ensure the deployment of the latest technologies for an accelerated development process of the country.
“Within that context, we have a policy in place and now we are in the process of developing the plan to cover 14 pillars, which cover all sectors of the economy,” he declared.
These pillars include electronic government (e-gov), human resource development, private sector promotion, e-security, foreign direct investment, facilitating a regulatory environment, e-health, research and development, deployment of ICTs and a legal framework.
The agency, he said, would ensure that the benefits of ICTs are reflected in the lives of ordinary Ghanaians. Plans have been put forward to promote ICTs in education all the way from primary schools to the universities.
Nigeria Wants Africa to Harmonise Telecoms Regulations, Says Ndukwe
By Shina Badaru
ACCRA- Nigeria has urged African regulatory agencies and telecoms administrations to forge an alliance to harmonise telecom laws as a first step towards the vision of a single continental regulator.
Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Ernest Ndukwe, said in an interview that while growing calls for a single African regulator is commendable, he sees a common and harmonised law as a more practical approach towards realising the vision.
The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), some other bodies and experts have reiterated at the WSIS Africa Regional Preparatory Conference the need for a continental regulatory agency to harmonise licensing and other regulatory issues across Africa.
Ndukwe who has been reappointed by the Nigerian government to head the NCC after his first term expires in February 2005, says a more realistic approach is to create and encourage the growth of sub-regional regulatory bodies across Africa
"Apart from CTO, many other organisations have been talking about that kind of thing and it is actually for that reason that WATRA (West African Telecommunications Regulatory Association) was established as a sub-regional regulatory organisation that would help fast-track harmonisation of regulatory policies and regulatory environment for the sub-region and by extension Africa”, he says.
He commended CTO’s inputs to the debate for a single African telecoms regulator. This Ndukwe said fits into the vision of setting up regional initiatives like WATRA, the Telecommunications Regulatory Association of Southern Africa (TRASA), among other allied bodies across various African sub-regions.
“But I don’t think we can be talking about an African regulatory agency today. What we can actually talk about is harmonisation of African legal and regulatory framework in order to ensure that whoever the regulator is in any country…” he said, will work within the framework of a harmonised, continental, legal instrument.
Ndukwe said that the creation of a common telecoms regulation for African economies is a practical goal. This, he reckons, fits into the vision of the information society and will go a long way in, “encouraging regional harmonisation for advancements of ICT in Africa”.
According to him, “I think the first thing is to ensure that the sub-regional organisations are successful because we can now all come together as an African regional organisation”.
Great plans for Nigerian backbone
Ndukwe hopes to consolidate telecoms sector reforms by building backbone infrastructure across Nigeria following his reappointment for a second term as head of Nigeria’s telecoms regulator.
When the proposed Nigerian regional backbone is built, it will offer a platform to extend the infrastructure into the West African sub-region and ultimately across the continent.
“During this second term, it’s a period to consolidate the gains of sector reforms in Nigeria. One of my big assignments would be a policy towards ensuring a solid backbone infrastructure for Nigeria
"That is one main thing I would like to see achieved within the next year or two and to ensure solid backbone infrastructure based on pervasive optic fibre infrastructure build-out across the country”, he said.
According to him, “following up from that, we will be extending that to a regional or sub-regional cable infrastructure that will make sure that countries within the west African regions are linked up and improved regional connectivity and by extension ensure regional connectivity for Africa”.
He adds that, “of course I will continue to consolidate the other gains of ensuring that subscribers in Nigeria are getting value for their money and their efforts as well as ensuring we extend telecommunications to the rural areas of this country and also empower our health and educational institutions to ensure they have availability of ICT infrastructure”.
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ACCRA- Nigeria has urged African regulatory agencies and telecoms administrations to forge an alliance to harmonise telecom laws as a first step towards the vision of a single continental regulator.
Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Ernest Ndukwe, said in an interview that while growing calls for a single African regulator is commendable, he sees a common and harmonised law as a more practical approach towards realising the vision.
The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), some other bodies and experts have reiterated at the WSIS Africa Regional Preparatory Conference the need for a continental regulatory agency to harmonise licensing and other regulatory issues across Africa.
Ndukwe who has been reappointed by the Nigerian government to head the NCC after his first term expires in February 2005, says a more realistic approach is to create and encourage the growth of sub-regional regulatory bodies across Africa
"Apart from CTO, many other organisations have been talking about that kind of thing and it is actually for that reason that WATRA (West African Telecommunications Regulatory Association) was established as a sub-regional regulatory organisation that would help fast-track harmonisation of regulatory policies and regulatory environment for the sub-region and by extension Africa”, he says.
He commended CTO’s inputs to the debate for a single African telecoms regulator. This Ndukwe said fits into the vision of setting up regional initiatives like WATRA, the Telecommunications Regulatory Association of Southern Africa (TRASA), among other allied bodies across various African sub-regions.
“But I don’t think we can be talking about an African regulatory agency today. What we can actually talk about is harmonisation of African legal and regulatory framework in order to ensure that whoever the regulator is in any country…” he said, will work within the framework of a harmonised, continental, legal instrument.
Ndukwe said that the creation of a common telecoms regulation for African economies is a practical goal. This, he reckons, fits into the vision of the information society and will go a long way in, “encouraging regional harmonisation for advancements of ICT in Africa”.
According to him, “I think the first thing is to ensure that the sub-regional organisations are successful because we can now all come together as an African regional organisation”.
Great plans for Nigerian backbone
Ndukwe hopes to consolidate telecoms sector reforms by building backbone infrastructure across Nigeria following his reappointment for a second term as head of Nigeria’s telecoms regulator.
When the proposed Nigerian regional backbone is built, it will offer a platform to extend the infrastructure into the West African sub-region and ultimately across the continent.
“During this second term, it’s a period to consolidate the gains of sector reforms in Nigeria. One of my big assignments would be a policy towards ensuring a solid backbone infrastructure for Nigeria
"That is one main thing I would like to see achieved within the next year or two and to ensure solid backbone infrastructure based on pervasive optic fibre infrastructure build-out across the country”, he said.
According to him, “following up from that, we will be extending that to a regional or sub-regional cable infrastructure that will make sure that countries within the west African regions are linked up and improved regional connectivity and by extension ensure regional connectivity for Africa”.
He adds that, “of course I will continue to consolidate the other gains of ensuring that subscribers in Nigeria are getting value for their money and their efforts as well as ensuring we extend telecommunications to the rural areas of this country and also empower our health and educational institutions to ensure they have availability of ICT infrastructure”.
Afro-Arab summit – on the road to Tunis
By Wanjohi Kabukuru
ACCRA- Egypt has already laid out a red carpet for the forthcoming Afro-Arab summit to be held in preparation for the Tunis phase of WSIS.
Reiterating Egypt’s proposal, which was originally floated last year, the Egyptian delegation here in Accra announced yesterday that plans have already been finalised for the high-level meeting.
The Afro-Arab summit is scheduled for this May in Cairo. It will be structured along the lines of the Pan-Arab regional preparatory conference on the WSIS which was held in Cairo in June 2003.
The Cairo summit will consider international developments pertinent to the second phase of WSIS, and will highlight the achievements of Afro-Arab nations in the field of communications and information technology.
It will examine regional action plans and carry forward the tasks of ensuring the effective participation of the private sector and civil societies in the Tunis phase of WSIS.
The focus of the Cairo summit is to pursue an Afro-Arab success agenda and position the two blocs together as a single, powerful negotiating front during the second phase of WSIS.
Afro-Arab cooperation is not new. At the African Union, the Afro-Arab Cooperation Department is responsible for initiating, facilitating, coordinating, and following up cooperation efforts between the African Union and the League of Arab States.
Last year President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and discussed the agenda of the forthcoming summit with a view to helping the continent reap the benefits of the WSIS process.
AfriNIC takes full responsibility for Africa’s IP numbers this year
By David Kezio-Musoke
ACCRA- Africa will no longer have to rely on other Regional Internet Registry (RIR) bodies, Adiel A. Akplogan the Chief Executive Officer of the African Registry for Internet Numbers (AfriNIC) has said. Akplogan told Highway Africa News Agency (HANA) here at the Accra regional summit, that AfriNIC is already managing the first stage of registering internet end-users with RIRs. This first stage is known as ‘request evaluation’. ‘Request evaluation’ is a way of allocating Internet Number Resources (INR) which are composed of Internet Protocol (Internet Protocol) addresses. One cannot get connected to the internet without an IP number. Akplogan told HANA that, “We will receive full and final recognition from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) by April 2005.” “We have, since the 1st of September last year, received 400 requests from Internet Service Providers (ISPs). RIRs no longer evaluate these requests, AfriNIC now does that,” Akplogan said. Akplogan said that it is important to note that AfrNIC is about registering and managing internet number resources allocation in the Africa region. “Numbers are used to uniquely identify different components on the net. AfriNIC doesn’t deal with name space management, domain names, but only number space,” he said. “More than 40 ISPs from more than 30 countries are giving AfriNIC support.” He added that 13 of them are currently paying their affiliation fees. Akplogan said AfriNIC is facing some challenges because it will have to be self financing after two years. He said the body also needs to drive the whole of Africa to participate in the process.
